Progress Iowa continues campaign against American Legislative Exchange Council

The liberal advocacy group Progress Iowa continued its critique of the American Legislative Exchange Council on Tuesday, calling on Iowans to demand that their lawmakers cut ties with the conservative think tank.

The think tank, known as ALEC, brings together state lawmakers from across the country and corporate representatives to draft model legislation on a range of issues. It’s been criticized by liberal groups as secretive and beholden to narrow corporate interests.

Progress Iowa, which earlier this month called on Iowa lawmakers directly to leave the group, on Tuesday focused on the state dollars that pay for legislators’ memberships.

Several dozen Iowa lawmakers participate in the group, and the Legislature has paid nearly $35,000 in dues since 2007.

“Our legislators need to opt out of ALEC immediately,” said Progress Iowa Executive Director Matt Sinovic. “We have a right to know that our tax dollars aren’t being spent on a shadowy group promoting an extreme right-wing agenda.”

ALEC claims to be a nonpartisan organization, although its mission is explicitly conservative and the vast majority of its members are Republicans. Model legislation crafted by the group covers a broad range of issues, but it has been tied to controversial measures like the “Stand Your Ground” law at the center of the Trayvon Martin killing in Florida and photo-identification requirements for voting.